In the production of labeled plastic containers, such as for example PET bottles, the containers are usually first produced from preforms in a blow molding machine and subsequently transferred to a separate labeling machine. For the container transfer between the machines, infeed and discharge starwheels and a transport device must be provided, causing a considerable amount of required equipment and space. It is therefore desirable to reduce both the number of required units and the space required for the production of labeled plastic containers.
The approach for solving the problem described in WO 2008/116525 A3, i.e. to label the container already during blowing in the blow mold, involves the disadvantage that in this case, devices for providing and fixing the labels in the blow mold must be provided, leading to an undesired complexity of the blow mold. Moreover, the blow molds are each only suited for a few label types and sizes.
To do without a separate labeling unit, it is suggested as an alternative in DE 19806647 A1 to apply the label onto the preform and to introduce it into the blow mold together with the preform. In this case, however, when designing the label, one has to take into consideration that the latter will expand in the blow mold together with the preform. Moreover, in this case, too, the choice of label types is restricted, for example to wrap-around labels.